“I still have the same illusion and ambition as when I renewed,” said the Elche coach about his future on the eve of playing at the Camp Nou
ELCHE (ALICANTE), 16 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Elche CF coach, Francisco Rodríguez, stated that this Saturday (4:15 p.m.) at the Spotify Camp Nou the Franjiverde team “is playing a lot” in the LaLiga Santander match against FC Barcelona because they hope to “change the image” and “regain sensations” with respect to the past days, and affirmed that he maintains the same “illusion” and “ambition” despite the bad league start.
“We play a lot. It’s one more game in the First Division against the best or one of the two best teams in Europe. We play to change the image of the first part of the other day at home (against Athletic Club). It’s complicated, but let’s go with the intention of playing our game to keep us alive until the end and, why not, get something positive out of it”, he commented at a press conference at the Martínez Valero.
With five of the six players recovered from the stomach virus that affected them this Thursday and the only sure loss of midfielder Omar Mascarell, Francisco is waiting to find out if he will be able to count on Pol Lirola, one of the summer reinforcements, who retired of the last training this Friday “with a blow”.
“Mascarell is not available. He has had some discomfort for several weeks that prevent him from being one hundred percent, but he is a committed guy and we are not limited in that position, but the late arrival of Domingos (Quina) has led him to play He has had to stop. We will try to put another player, with legs, dynamic and who takes the ball to the opposite field, “he said.
Francisco acknowledged that this week he has not spoken with the owner of the club, the businessman and Argentine representative Christian Bragarnik, but with the players, who are the ones who have to channel the level they offered last season.
“Do I play more? I play like in every game. That the team gives the image that I want it to give, that it is not giving it. I still have the same intention as when I sat down with the property to renew my contract, the circumstances did not they are the same, but I still have the illusion and ambition of always”, he underlined.
In search of arguments and solutions, Francisco sees an improvement in the team despite the “many conditions” it has had, especially in the closing of the transfer market with the departure of Johan Mojica to Villarreal and the cabals that placed Lucas Boyé in Seville. “The team has not performed one hundred percent and, at the moment, it is not enough for us to compete in the First Division,” he admitted.
“I AM REALISTIC, BARÇA IS A TEAM OF VIRTUOSOS”
He does not look at the statistics, which reflect 15 defeats and 4 draws in the last 19 precedents and no victory in Barcelona in the 23 visits, and declared himself “realistic” regarding the result. “We know which team we are facing. It is very different from last year and with the difficulty of playing on their field. The statistics are there to break it. Everyone is seeing the level that the six teams that play European competition are giving. They are overwhelming and performing at a fantastic level,” he said.
However, he was optimistic about the future of the team, penultimate classified with one point, the draw (1-1) against Almería, in the first five days. “I see solutions because otherwise I would not sit in this press room. The team is going to go further. We have not given the level when it comes to competing. Losing can be lost, but not in this way,” he stressed.
Barça is, according to the coach of the team from Elche, a team of “virtuous”. “It will make us suffer, but I am confident that it will be a long game to reach the end with some option. We will have our options to go to space and I hope it goes well. Boyé? We are giving him minutes. Little by little he is recovering his version as in the second part of the other day against Athletic. We need to ‘find’ the best”, he wished.